Jump to content
 

Northfield Harbor - getting the HO moving again


rodshaw
 Share

Recommended Posts

Having been absorbed with American TT for the last three years or so, I've been eyeing what's left of my HO scale stock and itching to get it moving again. So to get it up and running, I've made a quick switching plank.

P1050934.JPG.9bff0803d94ba1e5e91b0932aefc7912.JPG

 

Fortuitously I had some spare balsa left over from a previous layout. Balsa is ideal - nice and light but pretty much flat as a pancake and fairly robust. What I had left has made a baseboard just 8 inches wide, in two sections 32in. and 24in. long, joined by a couple of dowels. So total length is 56in, and if you take in the fact that there's no extra fiddle yard, overall it's my shortest yet.

P1050935.JPG.d3f284002c4ac1200f2b5854d9c4e371.JPG

 

P1050939.JPG.00a1348b2ae1d7a4a4cd57055fcd49b5.JPGP1050941.JPG.8572789a9c4ac772dbd03283c3d18836.JPGThe design is nothing special, but it allows for a good bit of switching. I've nominated the track inside the red oblong as a potential fiddle yard. The lead track at front left is also 24in, which will accommodate a loco up to around GP40 length plus two 50ft freight cars, for switching the track at front right. The extra 8in. in between the two 24in. sections is taken up by the pair of turnouts.

If I decide to turn it into a proper layout there is room for low-relief industries at back left and at the right in front of the fiddle yard.

All in all, just enough for a bit of switching to get those HO trains running again. I'm thinking it may also have a bit of play value for my grandkids. If I decide to give it the full scenic treatment I may add a couple of inches of width to the front, possibly at a lower level, to make a harbour scene, hence the cunning code name.

  • Like 5
Link to post
Share on other sites

Looks like you're off to a great start. :)

 

I'm not sure what your scenic plan is, but could I recommend leaving the fiddle yard track visible rather than hidden? 

 

Maybe scenic it up as an interchange siding or something?

 

On a small layout, real estate is on a premium, so I've always found that when I take one to an exhibition, people lean over the backscene to check out the fiddle yard anyway, so why hide it? :)

 

Obviously this is just my suggestions, it's your layout and rule number 1 always applies. :)

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium
2 hours ago, DanielB said:

Looks like you're off to a great start. :)

 

I'm not sure what your scenic plan is, but could I recommend leaving the fiddle yard track visible rather than hidden? 

 

Maybe scenic it up as an interchange siding or something?

 

On a small layout, real estate is on a premium, so I've always found that when I take one to an exhibition, people lean over the backscene to check out the fiddle yard anyway, so why hide it? :)

 

Obviously this is just my suggestions, it's your layout and rule number 1 always applies. :)

Guilty of peering behind Daniels backscene...  How thick is the balsa base board please?  Could  you attach a cassette  type fiddle stick?

  • Funny 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

DanielB - good idea, I may well end up scenicking the fiddle yard. It gives me more options that end. This might be an advantage at a show anyway, changing trains gives people something to watch while nothing is running.

 

Mick - the balsa is 3/4in. or 19mm thick, apart from a short middle section which is about 1/2in. with some foamboard glued underneath. I got it from Balsa Cabin about 16 years ago. I sandwiched it all with thick card from a packing box, then painted and varnished it. It's standing on glued-on balsa feet. Frankly it's a bit of a bodge and looks ghastly, but it's robust enough for what I need and the trains run fine.

 

I could attach a fiddlestick for shows - I even have just enough balsa left - but at home I've run out of space! Anyway my TT layout is booked for shows during 2021 so the earliest I'll be exhibiting this (if I end up finishing it to a good enough standard) will likely be 2022, so plenty time to make one!

 

But boy does that HO look big compared to TT!

 

Edited by rodshaw
Afterthought
Link to post
Share on other sites

If you think HO is big, try O scale! :lol:

 

If you're thinking of taking it to shows, as well as doing a scenic fiddle yard, might I suggest turning the baseboard 180 degrees and having that nice long spur as the fiddle track? It'll be much easier to "fiddle" with cars that way!

 

Unless your intention is to operate from the front, in which case you would not need to rotate the board! :D

Link to post
Share on other sites

The spur you mention is no longer than the fiddle yard, they are both 24in. The fiddle yard maybe looks shorter because of the turnout in the middle, which admittedly makes it a bit more inconvenient for placing stock. And switching from the other spur would be impossible. There would be no way to get a train from it onto the tracks above it.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Two locomotives 'in steam' could work. One for your 'Class 1' taking the cars from the exchange sidings into the headshunt, then a 'Class 3' shortline loco comes and collects them for switching, freeing up the class 1 to leave? It could work, though it might be a bit messy. :)

  • Agree 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

P1050950.JPG.10234e8fe0cfac94c0442c21f81f42c3.JPG

The loco can either push two cars onto sidings S1 or S3 via fiddle yard track F1, or pull two cars onto the lead track via fiddle yard track F2 and then push them onto siding S2.

P1050945.JPG.9baf8183fa04dc1016de021e1f75eba5.JPG

My original idea was to have the fiddle yard as a one-track 'sector plate' pivoting between the two sets of sidings, but I got lazy and used the turnout instead. I may go back to the idea of a sector plate, or possibly a two-track fiddle yard, if the present design proves restrictive.

I suppose I could also install a crossover between siding S3 and the lead track, which would give me a run-round loop for the loco.

Two locos would be a bit of a luxury on a layout like this but they'd work, one pulling and one pushing from the fiddle yard. It's DCC so this would be no problem.

P1050950A.jpg.75de9c22f2cf1a251e8638c00091fb13.jpg

I'm still finding it odd adjusting back to these HO monsters after my immersion in TT - but my grandson says he prefers the bigger trains and luckily I have just enough room to have both layouts set up together and switch back and forth!

  • Like 4
  • Friendly/supportive 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
On 06/08/2020 at 14:26, DanielB said:

Two locomotives 'in steam' could work. One for your 'Class 1' taking the cars from the exchange sidings into the headshunt, then a 'Class 3' shortline loco comes and collects them for switching, freeing up the class 1 to leave? It could work, though it might be a bit messy. :)

That's been my "modus operandi" for a while now. Works a treat with freight cars getting a rapid turnround on & off the layout, rather than industry spots, where in reality they could be parked up for days on end.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

American TT is about 2.5mm to the foot, or 1:120, the same as European TT, and HO is 1:87. So American TT is only 72.5% the length of HO, or only just over 50% the area, or 38% the volume. I love it.

 

British TT is actually closer to HO than it is to American or European TT.

 

Having said which, the difference in size is greatly exaggerated in my photo because the HO is in the foreground and the lens was pretty much at its widest angle.

Edited by rodshaw
Addition
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
1 hour ago, F-UnitMad said:

So what's that; about 2.8mm:1foot..?

 

48 minutes ago, rodshaw said:

American TT is about 2.5mm to the foot


What he said. 
Or as Americans say, “Do the math.” (300/120 = 2.5. 300mm is near enough to a foot for these approximate purposes.)

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

Having sold off another batch of HO stock I'm now left with two Bachmann Sound Value Alcos, nine post roofwalk era boxcars, a tanker, a gondola and a flat car. Just enough for some interesting switching. The sales will easily pay for any spending I do on this layout - all I should need are some modelling card, some figures and maybe a smoke unit for a chimney.

I have some downloaded low relief factories and industrial units to make, and enough room on the layout for two industries (working names Ahab Marine Supplies and Salts Seafood Co.) plus maybe a team track...must stop playing trains and get on with it!

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

A small start with scenics for this new layout in the form of the 1930s factory from modelrailwayscenery.com, repurposed with an added more modern Walthers door. Sides and roof still to do.

 

I like the way this kit goes together. It was supplied as OO scale, which I could have got away with but I reduced it to 87% for HO. I think it will look nice against the backscene on top of a loading ramp.

 

P1060121.JPG.15ea6a40b4aa87057cd1c5b2dc311543.JPG

  • Like 6
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

A bit more progress, with the Scalescenes low relief warehouse freebie and some ground cover, again using Scalescenes products and Wills cobble sheets which I've had for some time so I thought I might as well use them.

 

The idea is that there will be a harbour wall all along the front of the layout, with a length of 'sea' a couple of inches or so deep , hopefully with room for a couple of small boats.

 

Mostly I haven't been a fan of printed card kits because of the basic 2D appearance but they are easy and pleasant to build and I must say they look better than I thought.

 

P1060140.JPG

P1060145.JPG

P1060146.JPG

P1060144.JPG

  • Like 4
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I've run out of materials for a backscene and don't feel like buying any more just now so for now I'm going to do without one. To make the low relief factory stand up, I made a sort of slotting system.

 

For the warehouse interior rear walls, which aren't part of the Scalescenes kit, I found an online photo that was a pretty good match and adapted it.

P1060162.JPG

P1060163.JPG

P1060165.JPG

P1060167.JPG

P1060169.JPG

P1060170.JPG

P1060168.JPG

  • Like 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

The Alco S-4 shoves a boxcar into the siding...

 

P1060211.JPG.5eb5841da0a2890b9fdeb69e22abc105.JPG

 

to pick up a hi-cube from Ahab Engineering.

 

P1060212.JPG.27e25628fd41b6765a5bbaad06574351.JPG

 

Later, an RS-3 picks up an empty gondola...

 

P1060214.JPG.00a46fdca42fddeb5a974eaa87562c24.JPG

 

and takes it to the interchange sidings. (Must straighten that wall).

 

P1060215.JPG.599f814a1d376b63a452e73a0c7df662.JPG

 

Sme views of the whole layout so far, showing the matchstick rail bumpers and the walls screening the fiddle yard.

 

P1060216.JPG.0e4dce7f6e51d50481f7418de88347cc.JPG

 

P1060217.JPG.2a80066534c27b92c8fdf380b7b8617d.JPG

 

P1060218.JPG.e94a17c2b6246c70b47a5f40e064926e.JPG

 

P1060219.JPG.c90667162678c4977383568a1177f78f.JPG

 

  • Like 4
Link to post
Share on other sites

Bearing in mind my intention to build a harbour or wharf scene, with the front of the layout as a harbour wall and an extra two or three inches in front to model water at a lower level, I'm going to need some appropriate HO scale detailing items, e,g, lobster pots, rope, fishing nets etc., and maybe a boat component or two. Can anyone suggest a source, preferably in the UK?

Link to post
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...